Background:
I can't imagine being a guest at the Marriott City Center and coming down to grab a bite to eat and seeing the grandeur that is Stoke. This beats the heck out of an airport HoJo’s, to say the least.
Stoke and the coffee shop CoCo and the Director are both a part of the Marriott’s recent renovation that included their guest rooms as well. And man, what a renovation! The head chef here is Chris Coleman, formerly of McNinch House and The Asbury. Even though The Dunhill is dead to us (due to their part in a major wedding snafu that I will not blast them on the internet for...well, anymore than I just did), that’s still a pretty impressive resume.
Eat This:
Stoke is true to their stated mission of changing their menu seasonally. I love this, as so many restaurants say they do this, but nothing ever seems to rotate out. That said, here are a few of our favorites from visits throughout last summer, fall, and this winter. We personally can't wait for the mac and cheese to come back!
Pretzel Brioche with rotating trio of butters and spreads
You've gotta start here--don't argue!
Wood Roasted Avocado Toast
salsa verde, arugula
Oooh we're getting healthy now!
Pimento Cheese
buttercup & blue, wood-roasted chiles
Southern manna
Beets
sunflower granola, orange-infused UAV ricotta
Beets by Dre
Chicken Liver Pate
Peanuts & muscadine jelly
Peanut butter liver time
Trout
Here fishy, fishy
Sticky Pork Shank
Chili-sorghum glaze, peanuts, benne
Don't forget to eat the leftover glaze like an animal!
BBQ Carrots
Carrot top pesto
Bunny food
NY Strip Steak
Simple & delicious
Carolina Gold Rice Grits
63 degree egg, aged white cheddar
Put an egg on it!
Mac & Cheese
Jason's fave!
Dessert:
Um, let’s talk giant donut. If you haven’t been to Stoke yet, I have no doubt you have seen this beauty on Instagram. Behold: Giant Donut of Your Dreams. This baby is filled with one pound of diplomat cream and an entire heath bar. Favorite donut moment (of many)? When our party of four decimated this guy, and the party of four sitting next to us only managed to finish a meager quarter. Hah! Serious amateurs in the world of binge eating! Joke’s on them!
Great Big Donut Filled with Love
Filled with one pound of diplomat cream and a crumbled Heath bar
Oh, here you are again!
Drink:
The cocktails are my favorite thing about this place, and now that you have read the above, you know that’s saying something. The menu includes “pressed” cocktails, which are served in a coffee press! My favorites? The Barrio (El Jimador Anejo, dubonnet rouge, xocolatl bitters) and the Aged Green Point (Redemption Rye, yellow chartreuse, punt e mes, angostura bitters).
No drinks in this shot, but itsn't that the cutest couple you ever did see?
Atmosphere:
It is ridiculously cool it here--from the open concept kitchen to the hanging sculptures, it just feels very upscale without being at all stuffy. I love watching the wood fire oven and food prep while we eat. We never feel weird about going to a hotel to eat--nay, we feel fancy and footloose!
The atmosphere on the night we went during the riots and the SWAT team joined dinner.
Hotelier Hospitality:
The service here is top notch, from the hostess stand to the servers. Sometimes they bring out the food all at once instead of pacing it with the starters and the main courses, but otherwise the staff is on point and super personable.
Frankie’s Notes:
Marriott > The Dunhill and I am not yet ready to talk about what happened at the latter; But seriously don’t stay there; People who try to go easy on a giant donut because they think it might negatively impact their cholesterol are big losers, okay?; OKAY?!!; I would like to order room service from Stoke while in a hotel bed watching Bravo; A french press ups sophistication quotient 47-54%; The airport HoJo’s: forever in our hearts.